‘We want to increase the gap between us and Houston:’ A’s start five-game series on right foot, shut out Astros

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The A’s will be seeing a lot of the Houston Astros this week; five games in four days, to be exact.

With just three weeks remaining in the season, each game weighs heavy with postseason implications. The Astros flew into Oakland just 3.5 games back, in stabbing distance of the A’s long-held first place spot atop the American League West. The A’s have a clear shot at a postseason spot, nonetheless, but a fall from first place grace is one slip up away.

A shutout was a good way to start. The A’s topped the Astros 6-0 Monday night behind Chris Bassitt’s gem. With that, the A’s moved 4.5 games up on the Astros for first place in the division.

“We want to increase the gap between us and Houston,” A’s starter Chris Bassitt said. “This is a massive series and we don’t have a lot of games left. It’s a great opportunity to give us some wiggle room, and tonight was just the start of it.”

Bassitt at his best 

The A’s right-hander took the mound Monday looking for a bit of redemption. Thoughts of his three-inning disastrous start against the Astros in half of last Saturday’s doubleheader in Houston haunted him.

“To say the least, I was embarrassed and upset about my preparation going into the last Houston start,” Bassitt said. “We had back-to-back days where we had protests. Mentally, I was worried about that instead of pitching. It carried over into that start against Houston. For the last 10 days, I told myself, ‘You have to grind every day just to get back on track.'”

Bassitt had 12 days to re-align himself mechanically, to regain a feel for the breaking ball and command he lacked two weeks ago. He filled each day to the brim, working with pitching coach Scott Emerson to close the gaps in bullpen session after bullpen session.

All the work paid off, big time, Monday. Bassitt got the Astros again, and ran through them like he knew he should. He tossed seven shutout innings with four strikeouts and no walks. Two of his strikeouts came on his sharp curveball.

“You could see right away, he was really excited about this start and was on it right away. They got a few hits off him but he didn’t put anyone on, free pass wise. Good cutter, good curveball. Just competed really hard. He’s the guy you want on the mound for the first game of a series like that.”

Bassitt entered Monday’s game with an 0-1 record and 1.62 ERA in three starts at the Coliseum. Compare that to his 5.95 ERA and 1-2 record on the road.

There seems to be something to this trend, he seemed to fly through one of the toughest lineups in baseball for a second time from the comfort of his home mound. Bassitt went seven one other time this season — also against the Astros on Aug. 9.

His toughest escape act occurred in the sixth, when he got Aledmys Diaz outs swinging at his diving curveball to escape a runners on the corners jam.

He also made an acrobatic play on George Springer’s chopper in the fifth, falling backwards as he executed the difficult 1-3 putout. He gave up a good dose of hard contact — and the Astros managed seven hits — but Bassitt struck out four batters with no walks.

“Usually that play I’m running away screaming because (Matt) Chapman is running down my throat,” Bassitt said. “I just tried my best.”

Bassitt added that the starting pitchers have a debate over who might be the best athlete.

“I hope that ended it because I am over (Mike) Fiers saying he’s a better athlete than me,” Bassitt said.

“He’s quite the athlete. If anyone’s seen him play basketball, it wouldn’t surprise you,” Melvin said of Bassitt, who played varsity basketball at his high school in Genoa, Ohio.

Tony Kemp returns to the lineup and shows out

Kemp had a regular role as manager Bob Melvin’s second baseman of choice against right-handed pitchers. His role was minimized a bit with the addition of left-handed second baseman Tommy La Stella, who has the type of strikeout and contact rate that guarantees him a permanent spot in the lineup.

But, with Marcus Semien and Matt Chapman out with injuries, the left side of the infield opened up. Vimael Machin started at shortstop, La Stella moved to third base and Kemp moved back to his second base role against right-handed starter Cristian Javier.

Kemp showed a little of what he’d done well while platooning: his first at bat was an RBI double off the right field wall, his third double of the year. He fell down 1-2  and worked his way into an eight-pitch walk in his second at bat.

Sean Murphy homers for second time

With catching duties taking priority over batting practices, the A’s catchers were bound to get off to a slower start to this season offensively.

Murphy seems to be catching up. The A’s catcher hit his second home run in consecutive days. His fourth home run of the year came on a middle-middle fastball from Javier. It traveled off his bat with a 102 exit velocity and 404 feet over the center field wall.

“He’s always one swing away from a home run,” Melvin said. “The most impressive at bat or me was the last one.”

Murphy’s last at bat: a two-run RBI single he coaxed into the right-field gap, away from an infield shift playing way in with runners on second and third.

“He’s not trying to do too much,” Melvin added. “He’s got a little bit of a hole between first and second, just let the ball travel a little bit. At bats like that are going to be huge for him going forward.”

Replay of no help to the A’s, again

The A’s tested their replay challenge luck again Monday. They had every reason not to, given the trend of close calls that, upon review, never seem to tip the A’s way.

They thought they had a shot with Kemp’s attempted stolen base in the second inning. It appeared his foot slid into third base just before the tag swiped his leg. He was called out initially, and the A’s lost their eighth challenge of the season. They’ve won two.

When Machín’s line drive was deemed foul, but appeared to lift chalk, Melvin decided he’d be better off sitting on his hands.

“It’s truly remarkable, it really is,” he said. “The last play with the ball on the line, why even go there at this point? I don’t even know what to say. It’s beyond frustrating and there’s so many they’ve gotten wrong, in my opinion.”

Lou Trivino: 3 pitches, 3 outs

A rarity occurred in the ninth inning. Once Murphy put the game away with his two-run single, closer Liam Hendriks packed his stuff and left the bullpen. His wouldn’t be needed, and Trivino would get the ninth inning and a comfortable lead.

He needed just three pitches to get through it. Kyle Tucker hit a first pitch fastball ball 102 mph that looked like a home run, but Ramón Laureano caught it. Carlos Correa nailed a first pitch fastball 107 mph to left field, but Robbie Grossman tracked it down. Diaz took another first pitch fastball for a simpler fly out to end the game.

When was the last three-pitch inning Murphy caught?

“I think Little League,” he said.